of the Arkansas. As we approached the dividing the ridge, the whole valley was radiant with flowers: blue, pink, white, scarlet, and purple vied with each other in splendor. Esparcette was one of the highly characteristic plants, and a bright looking flower (gaitlasdia aristata) was very frequent; but the most abundant plant along our road to-day was geranium maculatum, which is the characteristic plant on this portion of the dividing grounds. Crossing to the waters of the Platte, fields of blue flax added to the magnificence of this mountain garden; this was occasionally four feet in height, which was a luxuriance of growth that I rarely saw this almost universal plant attain throughout the journey.

The party were on the 3d of August on a fork of the Laramie river, in latitude 41 deg. 45 min. 59 sec., and longitude 106 deg. 47 min. 25 sec.

"At this place (says Capt. F.) I became first acquainted with the yampah (anethun graveolens) which I found our Snake woman engaged in digging in the low timbered bottom of the creek. Among the Indians along the Rocky Mountains, and more particularly among the Shoshonee, or Snake Indians, in whose territory it isery abuudant, this is considered the best among the roots used for food. To us, it was an interesting plant-a little between the savage and the civilized life. Here, among the Indians, its root is a common article of food, which they take pleasure in offering to strangers; while with us, in a considerable portion of America and Europe, the seeds are used to flavor soup. It grows more abundantly, and in greater luxu riance on one of the neighboring tributaries of the great Colorado than in any other part of this region; and on that stream to which the Snakes are accustomed to resort every year to procure a supply of their favorite plant, they have bestowed the name of Yampah river. Among the trappers it is generally known as Little Snake river.

In the afternoon we took our way directly across the spurs from the point of the mountains where we had several ridges to cross; and although the road was rendered bad by the uature of the ground, it was made extremely rough by the stiff, tough bushes of artemesia tridentata, in this country commonly called

sage.

This shrub now began to make its appearance in compact fields; and we were about to quit for a long time this country of excellent pasturage and brilliant flowers. Ten or tweive buffalo bulls were seen during the afternoon; and we were surprised by the appearance of a large red ox. We gathered around him as if he had been an old acquaintance, with all our domestic feelings as much awakened as if we had come in sight of an old farm house. He had probably made his escape from some party of emigrants on Green river; and with a vivid reniembrance of some old green field, he was pursuing the

straightest course for the frontier that the country admitted. We carried him along with us as a prize; and when it was found in the morning that he had wandered off, I would not let him be pursued, for I would rather have gone through a starving of three entire days, than let him be killed, after he had successfully run the gauntlet so far among the Indians. I have been told by Mr. Bent's people of an ox born and raised at St. Vrain's fort, which made his escape from them, at Elm grove, near the frontier, having come in that year with the wagons. They were on their way out, and saw occasionally places where he had eaten and lain down to rest; but did not see him for about 700 miles, when they overtook him on the road, travelling along to the fort, having unaccountably escaped Indians and every other mischance." On the north fork of the Platte:

"In the precipitous bluffs were displayed a succession of strata containing fossil vegetable remains and several beds of coal. In some of the beds the coal did not appear to be perfectly mineralized; and in some of the seams it was compact, and remarkably lustrous. In these latter places, there were also thin layers of a very fine white salt, in powders.

On the 13th of August the expedition took its way along the upland, towards the dividing ridge which separates the Atlantic from the Pacific waters, and crossed it by a road some miles further south than the one we had followed on our return in 1842. We crossed very near the table mountain, at the southern extremity of the South Pass, which is nearly twenty miles in width, and already travelled by several different roads. Selecting as well as I could, in the scarcely distinguishable ascent, what may be considered the dividing ridge in this remarkable depression of the mountain, I took a barometrical observation, which gave 7,499 feet from the elevation above the Gulf of Mexico. You will remember that in my report of 1842, I estimated the elevation of this pass at about 7,000 feet; a correct observation with a good barometer enables me to give it now with more precision. Its importance, as the great gate through which commerce and travelling may hereafter pass between the valley of the Mississippi and the North Pacific, justifies a precise notice of its locality and distance from leading points, in addition to this statement of its elevation. As stated in the report of 1842, its latitude at the point where we crossed is 42 deg. 24 min. 32 sec,; its longitude, 109 deg. 29 min. 00 sec.; its distance from the mouth of the Kansas, by the common travelling route, 962 miles; from the mouth of the Great Platte, along the valley of that river, according to our survey of 1842, 882 to.les; and its distance from St Louis about 40 miles more by the Kansas, and about 700 by the Great Platte route; these additions being steamboat conveyances in both instances. From this pass to the mouth

of the Oregon is about 1,400 miles by the common travelling route; so that, under a general point of view, it may be assumed to be about half way between the Mississippi and the Pacific ocean, on the con.mon travelling route. Following a hollow of a slight and easy descent, in which was very soon formed a little tributary to the Gulf of California, (for the waters which fiow west from the South Pass go to this Gulf,) we made our usual halt four miles from the pass, in latitude by observation, 12 deg. 19 min. 53 sec. Entering here the valley of Green river-the great Colorado of the West-and inclining very much to the south ward along the streams which form the Sandy river, the road led for several days over dry and level uninteresting plains; to which a low, scrubby growth of artemisa gave a uniform dull grayish color; and on the evening of the 25th we encamped in the Mexican territory, on the left bank of Green river, 69 miles from the South Pass, in longitude 110 deg. 05 min. 05 sec., and latitude 41 deg. 53 min. 54 sec., distance, 1,031 miles from the mouth of the Kansas. This is the emigrant road to Oregon, which bears much to the southward, to avoid the mountains about the western heads of Green river, the Rio Verde of the Spaniards."

AN UNEASY PREDICAMENT. We were the witnesses of a ludicrous incident which occurred in this city a few days since, for relating which we crave the indulgence of the gentleman directly concerned-deeming it too good a joke to be

lost.

While sitting at our desk and laboring assiduously, with pen, scissors, and paste, to make out a readable paper for our patrons, we were suddenly "frightened from our propriety" by the hasty entrance of a gentleman, exclaiming, "For mercy's sake, help me to see what's the matter! I've got some dreadful thing-scorpion or tarantu la-in the leg of my pantaloons! Quick, quick-help me!"

We instantly rose from our chair, haif frightened ourselves. Our friend had broken in suddenly and unexpectedly upon us, and was so wonderfully agitated, that we knew not whether he was inded in his senses or not. We looked at him with a sort of suspicion mixed with dread, and hardly knew whether to speak with, or seize and confine him for a madman. The latter we came near attempting. There he stood quivering a d pale, with one hand tightly grasped upon a part of his pantaloons just in the hollow of the knee.

"What's the matter?" at last asked we. "The matter!" he exclaimed, "oh, help me! I've got something here, which just

ran up my leg! Some scorpion or lizard, I expect! Oh, I can't let it go; I must hold it. Ah, there!" he shrieked, "I felt it move just then! Oh, these pants without straps! I'll never wear another pair open at the bottom as long as I live. Ah! I feel it again!"

"Feel what?" we inquired, standing at the same time at a respectful distance from the gentleman; for we had just been reading our correspondent's letter about snakes, lizards, and tarantulas, and began to ima gine some deadly insect or reptile in the leg of our friend's large and unconfined pantalonys.

66

"I don't know what it is," answered the gentleman; "help me to see what it is. I was just passing that pile of old rubb sh there, in front of your office, and felt it dart up my leg as quick as lightning," and he clenched his fist still more tightly. If it had been the neck of an anaconda we be lieve he would have squeezed it to a jelly.

By this time two or three of the news. boys had come in; the clerks and packing boys hearing the outcry stopped working, and editors and all hands stood around the sufferer with looks of mingled sympathy and alarm.

"Bring a chair, Fritz," said we, "and let the gentleman be seated."

Oh, I can't sit !" said the gentleman; "I can't bend my knee-if I do, it will bite or sting me; no I can't sit !"

"Certainly you can sit," said we; keep your leg straight out, and we'll see what it is you've got."

"Well, let me give it one more hard squeeze; I'll crush it to death," said he, and again he put the force of an iron vice upon the thing. If it had any life, this last effort must have killed it. He then cautiously seated himself, holding out his leg as stiff and straight as a poker. A sharp knife was procured; the pants were cut open carefully, making a hole large enough to admit a hand; the gentleman put on a thick glove and slowly inserted his hand, but he discovered nothing. We were all looking on in almost breathless silence to see the monstrous thing—what ever it might be; each ready to scamper out of harm's way should it be alive; when suddenly the gentleman became, if possible, more agitated than ever. He exclaimed, "it's inside my drawers. It's alive 100-I feel it!-Quick-I-give me the-knife again."-Another incision was made. In went the gentleman's gloved hand once more, and, lo! out came-an old stocking!

How the stocking ever got there we are unable to say; but there it certainly was; and such a laugh as followed, we hav'nt heard for many a day. Our friend, we know, has told the joke himself, and must pardon us for doing so.-Though this is all about a stocking, we assure our readers it is no " yarn."-N. O. Picayune.

Large Miss of Native Copper and Silver.

While the rich ores of Lake Superior are almost daily freighted to Boston, a rock of Metallic Copper and pure native Silver, weighing more than 1600 pounds, has found its way to New Haven. This specimen, is said far to surpass, in beauty of form and rich display of silver on its surface, the one removed from the west fork of Ontonogon River a few years since, by Mr. Eldred, at an expense of $5,000. It was discovered by an Indian, named Tousant Piquet, in the employ of Major J. B. Cambell, a few miles. eastward of Elm River, on the Lake shore. It has, no doubt, for many years buffeted the waves of this inland ocean. Notwithstanding it was found loose amidst an assemblage of porphyritic and granite bowl. ders, lodged upon the strata of red sand stone, dipping under the lake, still the adhesion of a portion of vein stone shows, evidently, that it was origina ly an inhabitant of the adjacent Elm River hills, where regular veins, exhibiting native copper in place, may be seen, on lands secured by Messrs. Kinzie & Green. We are informed by a gentleman, who has carefully explored the copper region, that these loose masses of copper may be traced to their parent veins of calcareous spar and analcime in the conglomerate and red sand stone, and of Prehnite, Laumonite, and Datholite in the Trap. In this way, they become leaders or guides to the mineral contents of this region, which promises soon to be the United States what the Ural is to Russiathe seat of prodigious industry, and the source of inexhaustible mineral treasures. -New Hampshire paper.

AN IMMENSE HORSE.-Carter, the Lion King, "has purchased the largest horse in England. He has named him General Washington." He is twenty hands high, and looks as large as an elephant. He is beautifully dappled-his mane is nearly four feet long; his tail sweeps the ground; he is perfectly formed, and is regarded as one of the finest specimens of the horse ever seen in Great Britain. He is only six years old; he will be exhibited shortly in London, and then sent to the United States.

AGRICULTURAL.

PRUNING STONE FRUIT IN THE FALL.

In the following article, taken from The Gardiner's Chronicle, the writer contends that the autumn season is best in England; yet we doubt whether his reasons will hold good in the drier climate and more frosty winters of this country; and we are still of opinion that the months of May and June are the best here for pruning peach as well as all other trees.

"It is a well known fact that just before or just as the leaves are falling in autumn, when sufficient sap is in motion, and in its downward course, a more speedy and perfect cicatrization will be effected than in spring. Those who have been in the habit of making cutings of shrubs, &c., well know that if the cuttings are put in early in autumn, success is beyond a doubt, but if they are delayed until late in the season, or until spring, that failure is as certain. In the former case a callosity is formed by the descending sap, and roots are eventually sent out, and a plant is established; in the latter, no callosity is formed, and the cutting dies. It may be inferred from this, that the wounds are healed by the descending sap before the approach of winter; so much so, that no moisture can enter from without, and hence no injury can result from frost.

There is another important consideration which must not be overlooked in favor of autumn pruning. In many parts of England the young wood of the peach does not ripen to the extremities, more particularly in wet seasons, and the consequence is that early frosts rend the bark in all directions, the sap escapes, and the unripened part of the shoot dies. This is of common occurrence. Were their shoots shortened in autumn instead of in spring, just while there is action enough left to heal the wounds perfectly, the declining energy of the tree would be economised, for instead of being uselessly expended in assisting to repair the extremities of the shoots which are ultimately to be cut off, it would be husbanded in the parts left, which would of course be greatly strengthened. and the buds would also assume a prominent, healthy and vigorous appearance. I am strongly of opinion that autumn is decidedly the best time for pruning every kind of stone fruit. for the reasons I have advanced."-Selected.

The bones of birds are hollow, and filled with air instead of marrow.

NESTS OF THE CLIFF SWALLOW. This is one of the ingenious swallow tribe, numbers of which are not less remarkable for the singularity of the places they choose for their nests, than for the peculiarity of the materials and forms of their nidification. Our bank swallows, the barn swallows and chimney swallows, are familiar to us from our childhood. In some other countries, varieties of the species present no less striking singularities. The following description of the bird and nests above depicted, we borrow from Bonaparte's American Ornithology, vol. 1. page 67.

The cliff-swallow (Hirundo fulva, VFILLOT,)is strikingly characterized by having an even and not a forked tail, like its congeners. Instead of a white rump, like our windowswallow, it has an iron-brown one, and the same color, but of a darker shade, under the chin, where our chimney-swallow is red. The upper part of the body, however, has the same glossy violet black, and the wings the same deep brown as the former. "This active little bird," says Bonaparte, is, like its congeners, almost continually on the wing, and feeds on flies and other insects while performing its ærial evolutions. Its note is dif ferent from that of other swallows, and may be well imitated by rubbing a moistened cork around the neck of a bottle. The species arrive in the west, from the south, early in April, and immediately begin to construct their symmetrical nests, which are perfected by their united and industrious efforts. At the dawn of day they commence their labors by collecting the necessary mud from the borders of the rivers and ponds adjacent, and they persevere in their work until near midday, when they relinquish it for some hours, and amuse themselves by sporting in the air, pursuing insects, &c. As soon as the nest acquires the requisite firmness, it is completed, and the female begins to deposite her eggs, four in number, which are white spotted with dusky brown. The nests are extremely friable, and will readily crumble to pieces;

they are assembled in communities, as repre sented in the engraving.

In unsettled countries, these birds select a sheltered situation, under a projecting ledge of rock; but in civilized districts, they have already evinced a predilection for the abodes of man, by building against the walls of houses, immediately under the eaves of the roof, though they have not in the least chang ed their style of architecture. A nest from the latter situation is now before me: it is hemispherical, five inches wide at its trunca ted place of attachment to the wall, from which it projects six inches, and consists exclusively of a mixture of sand and clay, lined on the inside with straw and dried grass, negligently disposed for the reception of eggs. The whole external surface is roughened by the projection of the various little pellets of earth which compose the substance. The entrance is near the top, rounded, projecting, and turning downward, so that the nest may be compared to a chymist's retort, flattened on the side applied to the wall, and with the principal part of the neck broken off. So great is the industry of these interesting little architects, that this massive and commodious structure, is sometimes comple ted in the course of three days.

White, of Selborne, thus describes the building process of the window-swallow, or martin (Hirundo urbica). "About the middle of May," he says, "if the weather be fine, the martin begins to think in earnest of providing a mansion for its family. The crust or shell of this nest seems to be formed of such dirt or loam as comes most readily to hand, and is tempered and wrought together with little bits of straws, to render it tough and tenacious. As this bird often builds against a perpendicular wall without any projecting ledge under, it requires its utmost efforts to get the first foundation firmly fixed, so that it may safely carry the superstructure. On this occasion, the bird not only clings with its claws, but partly supports itself by strongly inclining its tail against the wall, making that a fulcrum; and, thus steadied, it works and plasters the materials into the face of the brick or stone. But then, that this work may not, while it is soft and green, pull itself down by its own weight, the proVident architect has prudence and forbearance enough not to advance her work too fast; but, building only in the morning, and by dedicating the rest of the day to food and amusement, gives it sufficient time to dry and harden. About half an inch seems to be a sufficient layer for a day. Thus, careful workmen, when they build mud walls, (informed at first, perhaps, by this little bird,) raise but a moderate layer at a time, and then desist, lest the work should become top-heavy, and so be ruined by its own weight. By this method, in about ten or twelve days, is form ed a hemispheric nest with a small aperture towards the top, strong, compact, and warm, and perfectly fitted for all the purposes for which it was intended."